Pattaya Open is the most fan-friendly tournament

Besides the welcoming atmosphere and the intensity of the competition on courts, if you wish to know good-looking players up close and personal, this is the tournament you just cannot miss.

Year after year, I have been part of this tournament and I am inclined to agree with many of the players that this is probably one of the best on the WTA calendar. In fact, it has become more and more a friendlier tournament.

Unlike the ATP Thailand Open where rules and security are sometimes too tight and forbids fans, the Pattaya Open is somewhat more open for fans to see their favourite players in flesh and blood. Say ‘hi’ when they walk to the court or watch them eating as ordinary people on the next table. There’s no need for security because fans mean no harm. They just want to show their appreciation to the girls who they normally watch on television.

And one thing, from my view, that has changed in recent years is the personality of players. A lot of players, in and outside of top 10, tend to be easy-going personalities, which is something really nice. Like last year, who would have thought that a player like Ana Ivanovic would be so relaxed and adorable a person, even when she lost.

This year there are several players who have the same traits as Ana. They are nice to tournament staff, smile at them and never complain. They have produced amazing results in their career and no matter how their dignity flies by those achievements, they do not walk past fans like they don’t exist. And at the end of the day, they will be remembered not because of the number of their trophies but how they could be so talented on court and down to earth off it.

Apart from that, the tournament is full of interesting players. The week began with talk about Varatchaya Wongteanchai, who made it to the main draw after battling through the qualifying rounds, playing brilliant tennis against two-time defending champion Vera Zvonareva. Then Briton Anne Keothavong surprised us by saying that she could eat fermented fish, the indigenous cuisine of Laos, which is the country of her origin. That was quite hard to believe from someone with a posh accent.

Along came the story of Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn who all of a sudden became the second oldest player in the tournament after Kimiko Date-Krumm, 34 and 41. The Thai battled with sickness to reach the quarter-finals but she did could not get past the next round against Maria Kirilenko. She was so sick that she had to cancel her post-match interview, Normally she would have never done that.

Also there was the talented American-Taiwanese Vania King who could pursue a career in singing if not a pro tennis player. If you surf on Youtube, she will find many of her clips highlighting her powerful voice. Too bad she was a bit sick while she was here otherwise, we would have had more to show apart from “Fever” that she sang in the pressroom. Two thumbs-up.

Last but not the least, there are the pin-up girls, defending champion Daniela Hantuchova, Maria Kirilenko and Sorana Cirstea. 

Their model-like looks are a sight for sore eyes, especially for the male fans. But don’t let their charms fool you, as they are not that fragile. When on court, they become lionesses and fight till their last breath.